opm resume writing tips

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Tips for Writing a Federal Resume

Creating a federal resume that brings your qualifications to life and shows that you are a perfect fit for the job can be a challenge. Be sure to demonstrate how your skills, experience, training and education match the employer’s needs. Avoid misspelled words and bad grammar. Following are a few ways to make this easier.

Consider what positions you are interested in and review what qualifications or experience they require by reviewing different types of jobs and job opportunity announcements on USAJOBS . Gather information and begin to build out a description of your knowledge, skills and experience to add to your resume. How you present your skills and experience in your resume will help determine whether or not you are invited to interview for a job.

Attend job assistance training prior to departing the service. Contact your Transition Assistance Center as soon as possible and sign up for a Transition Assistance Program Workshop. If you are not near a Military Transition Center, you may use the services at Transition Assistance Offices operated by the other military services. Use your transition counselors. They have the tools and knowledge you need. If available, get their help in creating your first resume or filling out a draft application. Ask them to critique your work and then make the changes they suggest.

One size never fits all. As you apply for jobs, tailor your resume to the position’s requirements. Study the job opportunity announcement and emphasize the parts of your work history that match the qualification requirements listed there. It is important to portray your knowledge and skills as a match to the requirements of the position and demonstrate the ability to do the job. This is easy to do when you include your results, achievements and accomplishments. Minimize the use of technical jargon or specialized terminology (e.g., military abbreviations) in your resume.

Resumes are generally presented in one of three formats: chronological, functional or a combination of both. Which format you choose will depend, in part, on the type of work you have performed and whether or not you are going to continue in the same field.

• Chronological resumes list work experience according to date, with the current job appearing first. Chronological resumes work well if your career has been progressive and you plan to continue in the same line of work.
• Functional resumes are organized by the skills you have used on the job. Functional resumes work well if you are contemplating a new career, do not have a lengthy work history, or have held a number of different positions because they sell your abilities based on the skills you have acquired throughout your career. Be sure to include relevant volunteer experience.
• Combination resumes both describe your work experience and highlight your skills. Combination resumes usually provide the most comprehensive overview of your career.

Unlike resumes used in the private sector, federal resumes require additional information. For each past job, give the standard information found in most resumes. Your federal resume should include the following:

• Job announcement number, job title , and job grade of the job for which you are applying
• Your full name, mailing address , day and evening phone numbers and home e-mail .
• Country of citizenship , if different from U.S.
• Veterans – Ensure that you attach or upload supporting documentation (e.g., DD214 or Statement of Service if still on Active Duty; SF-15, Application for 10-point preference; and Disability Rating Letter of 30% or more from the VA, if applicable).
• Peace Corps / AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers – If you are a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, you will need to provide your Description of Service (DOS) to claim non-competitive eligibility for federal jobs. AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers
• Persons with Disabilities (Schedule A) – To verify eligibility for employment under the Schedule A hiring authority, you must provide proof of disability issued by a licensed medical professions, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any federal agency, state agency, or an agency of the District of Columbia, or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. Contact the Department’s Selective Placement Coordinators for help with hiring and accommodation requests.
• Veterans – Keep in mind that your military training may count towards qualifications. Use your Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET) document (DD Form 2586) to document your training and education.
• Begin with your current position and list all other positions held in chronological order.
• State the job title, starting and ending dates (including month and year), prior employer's name and address (or write "self-employed," if that applies), and major duties and accomplishments. Include any positions temporarily held.
• Show the average number of hours worked per week or simply state "full-time"; salary or wage earned; supervisor's name, address and telephone number; and whether you’re most recent supervisor may be contacted.
• Veterans - Avoid using military job titles or occupational codes. Instead, look at what you did using your Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET) as a starting point. Employers prefer proven performers, so make sure you know what employers are looking for in comparison to your military work experience.
• Indicate if your current supervisor can be contacted
• Job-related training courses (title and year).
• self-management skills refer to the way you manage yourself on the job (e.g., dependable, resourceful, etc.);
• functional skills are the skills you use on the job or have used in previous jobs (e.g., operate equipment, supervise, analyze, etc.); and
• technical skills relate to specific skills required to perform a described task (e.g., computer programming, accounting, sales, etc.)
• Current job-related certificates and licenses - Make sure you understand the licensure and certification requirements for your job objective.
• Job-related honors, awards, special accomplishments , leadership activities, memberships, or publications.

Once you have spell checked your resume, take a good look at its overall appearance. Is it appealing and easy to read? Is there enough white space? Are the margins appropriate? Have the headings, font and formatting style been used effectively? Keep in mind that your resume is an employer's first impression of you. Make sure it makes the best one possible.

• Review the job announcements carefully for key words
• Use verbs and adjectives (e.g., managed, implemented, created) that match key words identified in the job announcement.
• Eliminate military lingo (use words such as personnel instead of squad or platoon).
• Include your accomplishments; do not be shy, be truthful.
• Focus on the mission of the agency and translate your experiences.
• Your positive attitude and genuine enthusiasm goes a long way.

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Writing a federal government resume

This page provides an overview with examples of how to write a federal government resume, which have content and formatting that differ from most private sector resumes.

How to write a federal resume

Written by , external, Amanda Costello , 18F content designer and gummi bear enthusiast, July 2019. (Revised March 2024)

Writing a US federal resume is hard. When I started writing mine, all I wanted was a solid example. What needs to be included, in what order, and what would it look like with real information. This is that example. ( Law and Order chimes )

It can be helpful to think about a federal resume like an academic CV, an overview of your whole career. Also, these are long documents . This is not the place for a 1-2 page resume. When I applied, my resume was 7 pages long; after 5 years at 18F, it’s close to 15 pages.

Below are excerpts from my federal resume, along with details and notes about how it’s written and formatted. I want more awesome folks from all backgrounds and experiences as colleagues. I don’t want the resume formatting or particulars to be a mystery; it’s already a very challenging piece of writing.

General things to keep in mind:

• Pay particular attention to the Specialized Experience section of a federal job posting. These items must be clearly represented on your resume to show you’ve done the work to be qualified.
• New in 2024! Another tactic that’s been successful for me has been making the job posting’s Specialized Experience the headers for duties and responsibilities. Obviously you can’t do this until you’re looking at a specific job, but it can be a good way to organize your work for readability.
• Throw out your formatting. I used CAPS for headers, italics for mission statements, and bullet points. Expect that the bulk of your formatting will be stripped out. No columns, no fanciness. Just write. Hard.
• Speaking of writing: get your words going, and then get more words. I had to submit two writing samples, and that was where I could show off my content strategy particulars. Remember the job of the resume content: clear, straight lines between the requirements and your experience.

Explicit disclaimer: This resume format is what I chose to use in applying to 18F in the US Federal Government’s General Services Administration. It is not the only acceptable format, but is what worked well for me. I currently work as a content designer at 18F, but put this together on my own time, using no government resources to do so. Using this formatting is not a guarantee of consideration. You still gotta do the work.

Want to chat more about this? Shoot me an email at [email protected]

My comments below will all be in text boxes

Resume formatting

AMANDA COSTELLO 123 Lutefisk Street You Betcha, MN 55555

Mobile: 555-555-5555 Email: [email protected]

Availability: April 1, 2024

Job Type: Permanent, Telework Work Schedule: Full-Time

Desired locations:

United States - MN Remote

WORK EXPERIENCE

Workplace name, Unit name if relevant - City, State, Country

Your job title - MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY - Hours per week: xx

Mission statement(s) of the workplace, or summary of the company’s work on a larger scale.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

A paragraph-long description of what the work was overall. Describe your work using a wide scope, leaving the specific details for later.

SPECIFIC TOPIC (e.g. CONTENT STRATEGY)

• Examples are in a bulleted list, each point describing a project or part of a project, or a piece of work that fits the heading, plus matches up with the qualifications/reqs.
• I chose to start each bullet with a past tense verb (Collaborated, Wrote, Managed, Edited), because that’s how I usually write resumes.
• Some of these bullets reference specific things I wrote, and those were included as writing samples with my application.

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

Software you know, tools you use, best practices and methods. This can’t just be a list, but has to have context in your work overview of how and why they were used. Also, please throw Microsoft Word on there because I was once rejected from a job in 2007 because I put “Microsoft Office” and the listing said “Microsoft Word.” Word matching! Seriously!

SELECTED WORK:

• Another bulleted list, this time of URLs related to work I did.
• They had quick little blurbs underneath about what they were, and what I did.
• Photos won’t come through on this resume, so no screenshots or anything.

Work experience example from my 2018 resume

University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development - Minneapolis, MN

Lead Content Strategist - 07/2012 to Present - Hours per week: 40

The mission of the College of Education and Human Development is to contribute to a just and sustainable future through engagement with the local and global communities to enhance human learning and development at all stages of the life span. The college is part of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, a land-grant high-level research institution, dedicated to generating and preserving knowledge through research, sharing that knowledge through teaching and learning, and apply that knowledge through outreach and public service.

Developed and led college-wide content strategy combining current and prospective student needs with college goals for recruitment and retention. Worked as a member of a cross-functional team including designers, developers, business analysts, marketers, and well as content strategists across 7 academic departments to promote and deliver effective processes and consistent content strategy.

CONTENT STRATEGY:

• Collaborated with college academic departments, research centers, student support offices, and senior leadership to develop a “bottom up” content strategy, prioritizing student needs based on their relationships with academic programs. Assessed content through the lens of recruitment and retention.
• Wrote “Stakeholder’s Guide To Launch,” a two-page reference for the launch of a new college website. By anticipating the top questions stakeholders might field, this guide gave talking points surrounding new features, along with contacts for further questions.
• Served as strategist, editor, and project manager for regular essay series on college diversity and inclusion work, written by academic leadership. This generated authentic, meaningful content and helped stakeholders better understand the time commitment involved in content production.
• Established user-centered college voice and tone guidelines, using “A, but not B” format. This was informed by close work with students in formal and informal usability testing, and brand sort activities with college leadership and key stakeholders.

USER EXPERIENCE (UX) WRITING:

• Combined findings from user research, new graduate student interviews, faculty and researcher focus groups, higher ed industry trends, and analytics to consolidate more than 600 areas of academic research expertise into 111 categories. Categories were deployed across the college for consistent organization and increased findability of research work.
• Developed strategy and standards to categorize and sort 127 academic programs and 111 areas of research expertise. This was incorporated into two web-based tools developed in-house and allowed students to explore college offerings and expertise independent of department. Wrote and edited descriptions for each area, capped at 25 words to promote ease of reading and top-level understanding.
• Planned, edited, and delivered a “Web Writing Best Practices” guide for college content strategists. Formatted as a “one-pager” for printing and pinning up as a reference, this collected links to and recommendations from external tools and guides (Hemingway, 18F, King County Editorial Guide), internal editorial recommendations from the university and college, and voice and tone particulars. Strategists often felt intimidated and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of recommendations connected to good web content; this guide promoted four starting points to improve content: addressing the user (you/your/yours and we/our/ours), employing structured content, concise writing, and using plain language.

USABILITY TESTING AND USER RESEARCH:

• Led and managed annual process of web usability testing, including project kick-offs, stakeholder workshops, scenario development, task analysis, lab and field-based testing, issues analysis, research and recommendation presentations to project team members, key stakeholders and college senior leadership.
• Helped subject-matter expert teams and stakeholders understand their users through research and usability testing methods, defining problems and crafting effective solutions based on both quantitative and qualitative data.

COLLABORATION ON CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAMS:

• Contributed to responsive redesign of college website by conducting a content audit, editing student-facing content for an overall 75% file reduction, and migrating updated content to custom-built CMS. Collaborated with design and development teams to create comprehensive style guides, pattern library interface copy.
• Convened monthly “coworking days” among all college web professionals, bringing us together as a team of peers for a day of training, collaborative problem solving, idea sharing, and camaraderie. Set programming, mentored colleagues on presentations, and collected feedback to regularly adjust how our central content strategy was best supporting the specific work of the departments.

ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH:

• Advocated for content strategy best practices to over 30 University departments by regularly meeting with peers and presenting to leadership stakeholder groups. Promoted clear, consistent, user-centered writing from all contributors, even those who don’t identify as “web people,” and facilitated collaboration across organizational silos to increase efficiency and support.
• Consulted with faculty and staff in academic departments outside the college that frequently contributed to content strategy. Regular guest lecturer and student mentor in the Writing Studies program.
• Contributed as one of four subject matter experts to the University of Minnesota’s Content Strategy Self-Help Guide, recommending resources and structuring process for the centrally-maintained system to help contributors at all levels improve content writing and strategic thinking for the web.
• Frequently presented at local Twin Cities-based tech meetups, translating content strategy best practices to adjacent fields such as front- and back-end development, UX research, accessibility, interactive design, and marketing.

Provided strategic content design with skills in copywriting, style guides, plain language, comprehension/reading levels. Conducted usability evaluations using card sorting (OptimumSort), tree testing (Treejack), direct observation user research methods. Worked on a cross-functional team that used Asana, Trello, Slack, Hemingway, pattern libraries, Google Drive, MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point), and semantic HTML.

• CEHD Academic Programs, www.cehd.umn.edu/programs Developed content and structure for directory/sorting tool
• CEHD Research & Expertise, www.cehd.umn.edu/topics/ Created new content structure around college research, including categories and descriptions
• UMN Content Strategy Self-Help Guide, , external, z.umn.edu/csmap Subject matter expert for update to university-wide guide

VOLUNTEER WORK

MinneWebCon Annual Conference - Minneapolis, MN - www.minnewebcon.org

Conference Director - 10/2011 - 06/2015

MinneWebCon is a two-day web conference in Minneapolis that encourages inclusive grassroots knowledge-sharing. In addition to keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and half-day workshops, our annual conference is a space for speakers and attendees to collaborate, talk, learn, ask, test, and grow.

• Directed volunteer-run tech conference for 200+ annual attendees, bringing local and national speakers to the Twin Cities web community.
• Oversaw event logistics, speaker recruitment and support, partnerships and sponsorships, promotion, and attendee experience with conference committee support and input.
• Introduced speaker mentoring program, pairing conference speakers with an experienced mentor to review slides, practice presentations, and provide support.
• Expanded conference to two-day event in 2012, adding half-day workshops to meet attendee demand for deeper learning.

SELECTED SPEAKING AND PRESENTATIONS

My resume listed about 15 sessions that I thought were relevant to this job. I also had sections on selected publications and selected podcast guest appearances, because those are cool too! The format I use is:

"Title of the Presentation," what kind of session - MM/YYYY Conference Name - City, State, Country

• “How Silos Learn: Working in the Idea Factory,” closing keynote address - 08/2018 (scheduled) PSEWEB Conference - London, ON, Canada
• “Better Stakeholder Wrangling,” half-day workshop - 10/2018 (scheduled) edUi Conference - Charlottesville, VA
• “Better Stakeholder Wrangling,” half-day workshop - 05/2018 Confab: The Content Strategy Conference - Minneapolis, MN
• “Explain Anything to Your Boss & Grandboss,” closing keynote address - 05/2018 Manage Digital Conference - Minneapolis, MN
• “How Silos Learn,” opening keynote address - 10/2017 Digital Project Management Summit - Las Vegas, NV

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN United States Bachelor's Degree MM/YYYY Major: English Minor: Japanese

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Language: Japanese Spoken Level: Novice Written Level: Novice Reading Level: Novice

Name: Jeff Awesomeboss Employer: University of Minnesota Title: The Best Boss Email: [email protected]

• , external, [email protected]

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6 Tips for Writing Federal Resumes

Ask yourself: can a recruiter scan this in six seconds.

Lindy Kyzer

• Promising Practices

If you’re interested in working for the federal government, you’ll need to navigate one very particular and time-consuming task—federal resume writing. You may have a perfect one-or two-page resume for career fairs or online profiles, but for your federal resume, you’ll want to consider a few tips.

1. Rules of Brevity Do Not Apply

Your federal resume should be highly readable, but unlike with your typical resume, don’t sweat the length. If it’s 20 pages, that’s a problem. A five-page word document is a good goal, but keep in mind that federal resumes generally ask for 10 years of employment history. That’s more than you should include on a typical resume (I mean, that college tutoring job really helped me in my career as an Army civilian, but I can guarantee it wasn’t the factor that got me the job). If you have more than 10 years of experience you can include that, but the closer you get to 20-plus years on the job, it’s likely your first few positions are irrelevant—they don’t need to be included on your federal resume, and they shouldn’t be.

The general principle for a federal resume is to go in chronological order—much like filling out employment history on your SF-86. But keep in mind this is still a resume, and it will ultimately be viewed by human eyes (if you do a good job of writing it and meet the qualifications). A functional resume format (where you lead off with your most applicable jobs/skills) will probably serve you better once your resume is viewed by human eyes.

2.  Write for the Human (and the Computer)

For most writing you’re appealing to a human. A key takeaway is to have a resume that can be scanned in six seconds—that’s how much time the average recruiter spends on a resume. Some federal resume writers get bogged down in all the details required and forget the six-second scan principle. View your resume two ways: as a screen shot and as a printout. Some government human resources specialists print out resumes to scan, particularly once the pool has been narrowed (sorry trees). Make sure in either format that there are key skills and qualifications that directly apply to the position and will catch a human’s eye. These may be keywords that apply to the position or they may be unique skills, a cool credential or certification, or something else that will make the human scanning your resume stop and want to learn more.

This doesn’t mean you should forget the computer; you need to include the relevant keywords from the job announcement. But if those are the only words you use, you won’t make it very far. When scanning a resume, it’s clear who just copied and pasted keywords and who incorporated them in a way that fits the arc of their skills. Your federal resume needs to tell a story, just like your resume does in any other job application situation.

3. Prove Your Grade

The General Schedule classification and pay system specifies certain levels of education and experience for each grade. All applicants, including veterans or those with prior government service, need to prove they have the requisite experience and education in their federal resume. Know the level of the position you’re applying for and show you have the experience required. Many current GS employees wonder if they’ll need to wait a certain period before applying for a new position at a higher grade. For annual promotions and merit-based increases, there are generally time-in-service requirements. In applying for a new position, however, there is generally no time-in-service requirement. The rules differ within agencies, and some departments, including the National Security Agency, having much greater flexibility on salary ranges and step increases within grade.

Regardless, do your research and make sure your resume fits the criteria. You’re wasting an HR specialist’s time when you don’t meet the most basic jobs requirements.

4. Show Specialized and Similar Experience

This one is for veterans, in particular. You may not meet the minimum education requirements of the position, but if you can show equivalent experience, training or education, you’re still qualified for the job. Also, be sure to list your veteran’s preference or disability rating on your resume. Federal resumes speak the language of KSA—knowledge, skills and accomplishments. For your federal resume, don’t hesitate to include relevant volunteer experience, military awards and certificates, and other topics you might leave off of a more concise nonfederal resume. Make sure these fit under the KSA umbrella—show how the training or experience you received applies to the job description. Sprinkle the relevant keywords across your resume, and across your KSAs.

5. Use Formatting

Many people treat their federal resume as a keyword search tool. Much of the advice around federal resumes focuses on the importance of key words. And key words are vital for every online resume—not just those submitted on USAJobs. But you also must include formatting to make your resume readable to the human who will eventually scan it. It should be visually appealing. You should use headers. You should divide your resume into a readable, visually appealing format. You should include relevant social media and career networking links, if appropriate. You should include an objective statement if it will better organize your resume.

The bottom line is, make your federal resume as easy to read and visually appealing as possible. Yes, it will be significantly longer than the one- to two-page resume you print out for career fairs. But you need to put as much, if not more thought, into the visual appeal and proper formatting of your federal resume.

6. Have a Nonfederal Resume

Many people assume the only way to apply for a federal job is on USAJobs. It is the primary government hiring tool but not the only one. Some federal agencies use their own or third-party application processing systems or job listing sites. If you’re applying through one of these third-party sites, make sure you know the resume requirements. Your more concise, nonfederal resume may be a better fit for these agencies. When in doubt, reach out to the contact on the job announcement. This may be the most critical piece of advice to go along with your federal resume: Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone. Showing your desire to apply for the job—and to do it right—makes a great first impression.

Lindy Kyzer is the editor of   ClearanceJobs.com   and a former Defense Department employee.

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Quick Guide to Preparing a Resume For Federal Government Positions

Due to the volume of applications received for any given vacancy announcement within the website, your resume will most likely be processed through an electronic filtering mechanism before being reviewed by a Human Resources Specialist for a qualification determination. Your resume will also be screened according to certain preferences (e.g., Indian Preference, veterans, disability, etc.) and rated based on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training described on the vacancy announcement. It is essential that you tailor the experience listed on your federal resume to the specific position to which you are applying.

Once your application is rated, a quality review will be conducted by Office of Human Capital Management staff and/or a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Resumes are forwarded to the Hiring Manager for interview consideration. Once a hiring decision has been made, applicants will be notified.

Resume Writing

Before you begin, it may be helpful to compile all the information you want to include in your resume. The writing process will be much easier and faster.

It is important to thoroughly review the vacancy announcement for the position you are applying. You should tailor your resume to ensure you include the experience and skills that are required for the position.

What Should be Included in a Federal Resume?

A federal resume calls for some information that is not generally required on a standard resume for private industry positions, and not including the required information may immediately disqualify you from consideration. It is extremely important that you carefully read application instructions and include all required information. Below is an example of a resume for Federal employment:

First and Last Name Address City, State and Zip code Email address Phone Numbers

Special Hiring Authority: (Indian Preference, Veteran’s Preference or Person with Disability - Schedule A ) Federal Experience: ( Yes or No and Indicate Military, Federal or State Gov ) Security Clearance: ( Indicate what level and if it's still active ) OBJECTIVE: To obtain a full-time position in public service with ( Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs as a (Indicate the position including announcement Number if there is one )  

SKILLS SUMMARY: ( Has 3 elements: An introductory paragraph, list of skills directly related to the position, and your skills you have acquired throughout your career, that you want to highlight ) (1st Element: The introductory paragraph - Must be specific and highly detailed for each job series and position you're applying to. You need to outline all the specific skills you have that are directly related to the position you are seeking including Key Words identified in the positions description.) Focused and highly motivated management professional, with 12 + years of extensive experience in Strategic Workforce Planning , EEO , OHR and Diversity Mgt . Utilizing my background in Disability, Accommodations, Business Operations, Project Management, and Statistical Analysis to develop comprehensive programs based on the employment needs and mission of the agency. Deploying metric -based solutions and maximizing our ROI . I'm an innovative and energetic team player, relationship builder, and highly effective communicator. (2nd Element: List of skills directly related to the position and the Key Words you identified - Back up your skill summary with specific examples from you career or education. Identify specific accomplishments, length of time, highlight numerical results and awards derived from those duties and skills. This is the most critical area of the resume. You are relating an activity in your career to that of the position you are applying and showcasing your accomplishments.)

• Develop and create a Strategic Workforce Planning program to ensure were accurately utilizing all available resources. Good Example

• Expert in Equal Employment, Labor and Employee Relations assisting managers and staff in identifying and solving EEO Policy questions on Accommodations, for the past 9 yrs. Better Example

• As Diversity manager I trained a staff of 100+ internal and external personnel on diversity rules and regulations. My efforts resulted in a 70% reduction in violations and improved the overall atmosphere at ABC Co. Best Example (3rd Element: Acquired skills - These are skills you want every employer to know you possess and feel they are what defines you as a model employee. Remember you MUST quantify and qualify every statement you make.)

• Analyze, develop, test and incorporated IT business solutions to enhance business process control and tracking. Good Example

• Supervised, motivated, mentored and lead by example, using experience backed judgment, strong work ethic, and irreproachable integrity, derived from my 12yrs as a Department Manager at ABC Co. Better Example

• Developed and implemented a supply inventory program, which tracked our use of production and office materials. This provided us detailed reports of our available inventory at all times. Allowing us to make more informed purchasing decisions. Resulting in ABC Co. to save 500,000 per year. Best Example

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY Name of Employer Position & Title GS level or Salary and Years of Service From: Mo/Year to Mo/Year; (Indicate if the work was Full Time, Part Time, or Seasonal; provide number of hours for PT or Seasonal work) Write a brief description of your experience/duties, and identify your major roles and responsibilities. Describe in detail each position you held for at least the last 10 years and quantify and qualify each statement). IP: Describe each duty as if you are describing it to someone for the first time. Agencies are not allowed to assume you can or can't do anything. Ex: Cashier: A cashier can perform numerous duties, if you only list cashier we can only interpret that as someone we collected and distributed money). As Diversity Manager I analyze develop and manage programs and projects related to the successful deployment of our department's initiatives. My duties included ensuring we provided an inclusive work environment, free from discrimination and ensuring we met all federal and state regulations. This was accomplished by collecting, analyzing human capital data and statistics from various sources to get an accurate analysis of the programs and work environment we provided our employees.   • Performed labor market Statistical analysis and employment projections locally and nationally to determine our recruitment strategy to ensure we were recruiting from a diverse population. Good Example • Coordinated with the Office of Human Capital and EEO managers to develop programs to improve our diversity in the workplace. Performed detailed analysis of the current workforce, and developed a strategy to ensure we targeted a broader workforce. This had an immediate impact on community relations and a 20% increase in local sales. Better Example

• Diversity manager for the past 7 yrs I was responsible for a staff of 20 employees. I coordinated with our Office of Human Capital to develop and measure recruiting timelines and efficiency, to determine cost per employee hired and accurate return on investment. Identified various key elements related to recruiting and performed a statistical analysis on reducing cost per hire. This lead to a yearly savings of 15% on recruiting expenses. Best Example

ACCOMPLISHMENTS (Identify any areas of your career you feel an employer will get a better understanding of who you are and your additional activities, to included honors received by organizations, exceeding specific goals on projects, etc.)

• 2011 Supervised and managed the Specialty Hiring Programs, including NonCompetitive Direct Hiring Authorities, Military Spouse Employment and Individuals with Disabilities Programs, at the Department of Defense. • 2008 Liaised with union and management on contract negotiations and labor dispute settlements with global manufacturer. Prevented the loss of 200+ jobs and saving the company 1.3 million dollars.

• 2006 The Minority Entrepreneur Network - Assisted 5 minority startup companies in researching, forecasting, and drafting their business plans and applications for small business loans.

• 2005 Restructured vendor contracts for a gross savings resulting in $375K per quarter.

COMPUTER SOFTWARE (List all software and applications you are experienced in and level. Identify formal training and where you received that training)

ADDITIONAL TRAINING (List any formal or informal training including accreditations and number of hours in the specific field)

• I have attended various seminars on EEO compliance and diversity Good Example

• Extensive EEO Compliance Training: Laws & Discrimination, Diversity in the Workplace, Workplace Relationships, EEO Complaints and Resolutions: (80+ hrs of training) Better Example

• Extensive Project Management Training specializing in large scale projects and developing the project plans and schedule. All training was done at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) 2002 thru 2011 (120 hrs) Best Example

HONORS AND AWARDS

(Any formal awards you would like to share)

VOLUNTEER WORK & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

(Depending on the type of work volunteering can count the same as formal on the job experience if related to the position) (2010 - current) I hold Diversity workshops at the ABC community center in Washington DC, 6 times each month. I provide employers with information on developing an inclusive and diverse workforce. Note: volunteer work must include the total # of hours PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AAPD - American Association of Peoples with Disabilities HAVA - Honored American Veterans Afield NRA - National Rehabilitation Association PMI - Project Management Institute Wounded Warriors Project - Warriors to Work REFERENCES (List at least 3 references including their contact information)

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5 Tips for Writing a Federal Resume - Federal Pay.org

Your resume is a vital part of your job search. For federal jobs, having a professional looking federal resume is even more critical.

The Federal Government doesn’t have a standard job application process. For federal jobs, your resume is your application.

However, the federal resume is one of the most challenging resumes to pull off.

From the writing process to the format and design – everything is different from a civilian resume.

You’ll want to be aware of a few crucial aspects of federal resume writing from the very beginning.

That’s why we have compiled these essential tips to make it easier for you to approach the task.

1. Make Sure You Fulfill the Minimum Qualifications

Even before you start writing your resume for a federal job, you have to make sure that you will be able to prove your qualifications adequately on your resume.

Read the entire job announcement carefully.

Check the “This job is open to” and “Who may apply” sections to check out the eligibility criteria or the hiring paths the job is specified for.

Once you’re sure you meet the eligibility criteria, proceed to the “Qualifications” section to check whether you meet the minimum qualifications in the type of work experience, years of work experience, skills, knowledge, education, and any other requirements.

2. Follow the Federal Resume Format, But Be Targeted

You’ll notice a fair bit of additional information is needed on your federal resume that’s simply not required on a civilian resume. This might include:

• Citizenship information
• GS grades of your previous federal positions
• Veteran’s preference eligibility
• Availability
• Disability (if any)
• Security clearance
• Other special hiring authority (if any)

It’s important to follow the federal resume format to accommodate this information on your resume.

However, in all this, try not to forget the importance of targeting your resume for the job to which you are applying .

Submitting the exact same resume for all the jobs you apply to is a recipe for disaster.

Use the job announcement to find out essential skills and other qualifications that should be given prominence on your resume.

Pay extra attention to the keywords related to those skills, accomplishments, knowledge, and other qualifications. Incorporate relevant keywords into your federal resume.

Using keywords appropriately is essential because your resume will be scanned with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before the hiring authority checks them manually.

Keywords are the magic elements that will increase the chances of your resume getting through the systems.

3. Use Quantifiable Examples

Another important tip that you should keep in mind while writing your federal resume is the use of data and numbers to quantify your accomplishments.

Utilizing numbers makes your accomplishments palpable. It is easier for those reviewing your resume to visualize the impact you have made when you add specific statistics to your federal resume.

Make use of impressive data and metrics wherever possible on your experience section, education section, and KSA statements.

See, for example, the following snippet from a federal resume experience section:

“Responsible for 150 new graduate medical professional students annually. Formerly responsible for ~200 New Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) recruits per year.”

Without numbers, there’s no solid context about the sheer volume of work you performed. But the data makes your experience clearer and that much more impressive.

4. Be Descriptive When Adding Specialized Experience

Your federal resume is likely to be much longer than a civilian resume. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the luxury to include every last detail of your career.

Despite having the flexibility of space, you’ll want to be selective about your past experience and skills. What should you give prominence to and what do you need to curtail?

The job announcement will be your guide.

Write and organize the sections of your federal resume depending on the required experience and skills.

A requisite for many federal jobs is specialized experience in particular fields. If you have specialized job experience, training, and certifications that are required for the position, be more descriptive while writing those sections.

Whereas, if some of your previous experience is not relevant to the desired position, briefly mention them with a couple of paragraphs or bullet points.

5. Learn How to Answer Federal Self-Assessment Questions

Federal self-assessment questions are increasingly found as one step in the federal job application process. The assessment can be quite extensive, consisting of 10 to 80 questions.

Many federal job seekers make the mistake of getting into the application process without adequately preparing for the questions.

The questions might include true/false or yes/no, multiple-choice, and “check all that apply” questions. Some questions can also request that you rate your skills on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is the highest.

These questionnaires assess the applications based on duties, responsibilities, specialized experience, and other qualifications required for the position. Your answers should reflect what you have written on your resume.

Under the job requirement tab, there’s likely to be a section titled “How you will be evaluated.” In this section, you might see a link to a sample questionnaire containing the kinds of questions you are likely to face during the application process (see image below).

Closing Thoughts

Yes, writing a federal resume can be a challenging task.

You may not get everything right the first time you try. But with preparation, planning, and perseverance, things will gradually start to fall in place.

Here’s a quick review of the tips once again:

• Make sure you can prove you fulfill the minimum qualifications.
• Follow the federal resume format but be targeted.
• Use quantifiable examples with numbers and relevant data.
• Be descriptive when adding specialized experience.
• Learn how best to answer federal self-assessment questions.

These tips will hopefully facilitate your journey towards landing a federal job.

Finally, remember that it’s okay to seek professional help from expert federal resume writers at any point if you feel the need. They write federal resumes day in and day out, so they know what works to help your resume stand out and improve your chances of landing an interview.

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Tips for building an effective resume.

It is important to address any specific information required and ensure your resume includes sufficient information to validate that you meet all requirements of the job for which you are applying.

In addition, an effective resume should include the following information:

Job Information            

• Job announcement number
• Title and grade level(s) of the job for which you are applying
• Locations for which you are applying (if applicable)

Personal Information

• Full legal name
• Contact information (day/evening phone numbers, email/mailing address)
• Indicate if you are a US citizen (required by most Federal jobs)
• Indicate veterans' preference category, if applicable, Preference categories

Work Experience & National Service (i.e. volunteer experience)

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).  Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.  You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

• Job title (include pay plan, series, and grade if Federal, non-military position)
• Employer's name and address
• Supervisor's name and phone number (indicate if we may contact your current supervisor)
• Starting and ending dates (month, day, and year)
• Hours worked per week
• Date of last promotion (if Federal, non-military position)
• Duties and accomplishments (job descriptions are not recommended)
• Name of each school, college, or university attended and location
• Degree or certificate awarded (if no degree, show total credits earned and indicate whether semester or quarter hours)
• Date your degree was received or when it is expected
• Grade point average and scale (e.g., 3.6 of 4.0 grade scale)

Other Qualifications

• Skills (e.g. other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, machinery, typing speed)
• Certificates and licenses (current only)
• Honors, awards, and special accomplishments (e.g. publications, memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership activities, public speaking, and performance awards)
• Training courses (title and year)

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Federal Government Jobs

Helping job hunters find, apply for, and land government jobs, tips on writing your federal resume.

• January 14, 2022

Resumes are unique and specifically those that are aimed at landing a spot on the federal employment roster or changing jobs within. With a few tweaks, you can create a  new   federal style resume that highlights your experience while emphasizing your ability to meet the needs of the federal government mission. By using phrases and keywords, for example, along with the criteria mentioned in the vacancy announcement,  you  can become one of the top candidates!

Finding a way to show value to a government organization while highlighting your knowledge, skills and abilities  is challenging. By organizing your information appropriately, you can effectively capture attention while communicating your most important attributes.

• Be sure to review the job opening or announcement in detail, be thorough and select the important criteria surrounding the duties or qualifications required so as to be sure you have the qualifications to do the job they are looking to fill.
• Demonstrate your experience surrounding these specific qualifications and build upon them with your skills and abilities; present a picture of a solid understanding of them while meeting requirements.
• Illustrate and highlight performances by incorporating personal success stories into the resume; be sure to address examples for each of the duty areas mentioned in the open position. Use statistics and numbers where you can (saved x amount of time and/or money for the company, etc.).
• In addition to employment highlights, be sure to include any hobby/volunteer skills that may be applicable or perhaps those acquired from an additional part-time career (past or present).. (writing, bookkeeping, editing, etc.)
• List any and all education that is currently being pursued (additional degree, certifications, etc.).
• List any and all awards, achievements, hobbies or titles applicable to the skills surrounding the position you are seeking (author, publisher, blog, etc.).
• Include any unique responsibilities (international travel, deployments, military reserves, etc.)
• Make it personal where you can and be sure to avoid using acronyms that others may not understand; proofread and ensure formatting, tone and tense are appropriate (bullet format, bold where applicable, reverse chronological order, etc.).
• Highlight your computer skills (MS Word, Project, Excel, Powerpoint, Graphic Designer, etc.) as applicable
• Include your resume even though the organization or agency may require an additional application

Some keywords found on government resume submissions include:

Spearheaded  –  Improved  –  Managed

Streamlined  –  Authored  –  Developed

Steadfast  –  Saved  –  Implemented

Fostered  –  Engaged  –  Hand-Picked

The above words can assist in not only capturing your expertise, but effectively highlighting your accomplishments. With a simple change, here is an example:

Old: Worked with a small team to develop a new mobility application for our organization which was very successful.

New: Spearheaded a new mobility application (called XFirst), which expanded our European business market segment by 10% and increased our international sales by 5% in year one.

Overall, be sure to present your knowledge, skills and abilities in an organized, yet attention grabbing fashion; highlight your experiences and background to demonstrate a sound ability to meet job expectations. Proofread, proofread, proofread to ensure an error-free submission; be timely with all responses, ensure proper tone and format as well and maintain a positive attitude with the recruiter at all times. A sample federal style resume  is available for your review and if you need assistance there are expert resume writing services available that can help you tailor your resume to the job announcement .

References & Career Planning Tools 

• Explore Federal Careers  (Occupations, qualifications, and job listings)
• What Should I Include In My Resume   USAJOBS
• Federal Resume Writing Services
• Career Planning Guide

The information provided may not cover all aspects of unique or special circumstances, federal and postal regulations, and programs are subject to change. Our articles and replies are time sensitive. Over time, various dynamic human resource guidance and factors relied upon as a basis for this article may change. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation and this service is not affiliated with OPM, the postal service or any federal entity. You should consult with school counselors, hiring agency personnel offices, and human resource professionals where appropriate. Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

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Federal Resume Guidebook, Fourth Edition

Description.

Since the third edition of this perennial big seller was released in 2003, the federal government has again completely changed the process for applying for federal jobs. This much-needed overall update includes 30 sample resumes and tips for using the most popular online “resume builders,” which is the predominant method of applying for the abundant and well-paying jobs offered by the federal government—and something no other book covers. The new edition includes strategies and samples for using the following online federal resume builders: • USAJOBS/Office of Personnel Management • Army CPOL (Civilian Personnel On-Line) • Navy DONHR CHART (Civilian Hiring and Recruitment Tool) • Air Force CPOC (Civilian Personnel Operations Center) • Department of Defense OSD • QUICKHIRE • Avue Central • Various federal agencies Key Features • More than 30 sample resumes in actual online builder formats • Tricks for maximizing your resume presentation in a rigid builder format • Hot tips for writing KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities statements) • Step-by-step information on how to apply for federal jobs • New tips on security clearance requirements Working Table of Contents Part 1: Writing a USAJOBS Resume and Other Electronic Federal Resumes Chapter 1: What Is a USAJOBS and Electronic Federal Resume? Chapter 2: Work Experience: The Most Important Section of Your Resume Chapter 3: Education and Related Training Chapter 4: Additional Information Chapter 5: Focusing Strategies: Top Skills and Specialized Qualifications Chapter 6: Keywords for 10 Occupational Series Part 2: Plain Language and Value-Added Lessons Chapter 7: Plain-Language Writing Lessons: Writing Well Chapter 8: Federal Agency Core Competencies Part 3: Questions, KSAs, and Essays in the Resume Chapter 9: New Essay Writing: The KSA Way Chapter 10: Questions and Self-Assessment Answers Part 4: Navigating USAJOBS Announcements: Analysis Strategies Chapter 11: Vacancy Announcement Analysis Techniques Chapter 12: Applying for a Federal Job: Resume Builders Part 5: Special Insight for Targeting Occupational Series Chapter 13: Science, Medicine, and Health Policy: Converting a Curriculum Vitae into a Federal Resume Chapter 14: Information Technology Chapter 15: Contract Specialist, Purchasing Agent, and Business Analyst Chapter 16: Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Chapter 17: Management and Program Analyst Positions Chapter 18: Human Resources Management Positions Part 6: Special Federal Job Seeker Strategies: Executives, Military, and Wage Grade Transitions Chapter 19: Senior Executive Service, Executive Core Qualifications Chapter 20: Military to Federal Resume Conversions Chapter 21: Wage-Grade to General Schedule (GS) Transitions Part 7: Survival and Career Strategies for Promotion Chapter 22: Strategies for Moving Up in Government Chapter 23: Behavior-Based Interview Preparation

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• ISBN: 9781593574512
• Release date: June 25, 2007
• File size: 52411 KB

OverDrive Read PDF ebook

Careers Nonfiction

Publisher: JIST Publishing Edition: Fourth

OverDrive Read ISBN: 9781593574512 Release date: June 25, 2007

PDF ebook ISBN: 9781593574512 File size: 52411 KB Release date: June 25, 2007

• Kathryn Kraemer Troutman - Author
• Formats OverDrive Read PDF ebook
• Languages English

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When writing ECQs, it’s critical to understand the Narrative Format ‒ the Context-Challenge-Action-Result (CCAR) Model!

The following is abstracted from OPM’s Guide to Writing Senior Executive Service Narratives

The key to a well-written qualifications statement is to give readers – executive resources staff, rating and selecting officials, and Qualifications Review Board (QRB) members – specific information about your achievements. Be sure to include professional and volunteer experience, education, training, and awards that demonstrate your skills in a particular Executive Core Qualification (ECQ). A well-prepared ECQ statement reflects the ECQ-specific competencies (e.g., “Leading Change” reflects creativity and innovation, external awareness, etc.). Because the fundamental competencies are cross-cutting, they should be addressed over the complete ECQ narrative. It is not necessary to address them directly as long as the narrative, in its totality, shows mastery of these fundamental competencies overall.

The Opening Brief Summary of your Executive Experience – 1/2 to 1 page!

Begin your ECQ statement with a brief summary of your executive experience. Then use the following approach to describe your accomplishments.

Challenge-Context-Action-Result Model

An ECQ statement may include one or more examples of relevant experience. The number of examples is not as important as assuring that your experience matches the ECQ criteria. Keep in mind that the QRB is looking for specific challenges, actions and results.

• Challenge. Describe a specific problem or goal.
• Context. Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
• Action. Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
• Result . Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

Other Suggestions

• Adhere to page limitations stated in the vacancy announcement.
• Use clear, concise statements written in the first person.
• Spell out all acronyms.
• Describe recent education and training that enhanced your skills in a particular ECQ.
• Include non-Federal experience (e.g., private sector, volunteer and professional organizations) if it demonstrates executive qualifications.
• Include special assignments (e.g., details, task forces, committees) if they are relevant to an ECQ.
• Avoid statements that describe your personal beliefs or philosophies; focus on specific challenges and results.
• Include awards that relate specifically to an ECQ.
• Quantify your accomplishments.
• Address the fundamental competencies over the course of the complete ECQ statement.

Examples of Qualifications Statements

The following examples illustrate good qualifications statements for Senior Executive Service candidates being certified under Criterion A, demonstrated executive experience. They include examples of private sector and volunteer work in addition to State and Federal Government experience.

The examples feature the Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) model. One of these four words appears after select sentences in the examples to show how the model works. Candidates should keep the CCAR model in mind as they write their qualifications statements but they should not annotate these statements with “Challenge,” “Context,” “Action,” or “Result.”

In short, good qualifications statements:

• Use the Challenge-Context-Action-Result model;
• Include specific examples of experience; and
• Focus on results.

These examples, from actual Qualifications Review Board cases, have been modified to protect the privacy of the SES candidates.

ECQ 1 Leading Change

This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

• Competencies
• Creativity & Innovation
• External Awareness
• Flexibility
• Strategic Thinking

Example 1: Leading Change

Unlike traditional career paths, where one position leads naturally to the other, I have followed a course in which a combination of factors has led me to envision and launch novel and non-traditional enterprises. The most important illustration of this core competency is my work as a pioneer in the field of technology transfer.

Technology transfer – the successful commercialization of inventions and innovations that arise from the not-for-profit sector – was virtually unknown 15 years ago. Indeed, the notion of promoting collaborations between scientists in Federal laboratories or academia and their industrial counterparts was an anathema. Common wisdom dictated that technology transfer was doomed to fail, even if legislation was enacted to encourage such interaction. (Context) A handful saw it differently. I was among them.

I shared this vision with the top administrators of two research campuses. I met weekly with these officials and successfully argued that a Center for Technology and Development (CTD) should be created and given responsibility for all patenting and licensing activities. (Challenge) My vision for the CTD, including its mission, policies, and administrative structure, was adopted on both campuses. I proposed, lobbied for, and succeeded in including the phrase “transfer of knowledge and technology” as part of the new mission statement for the campuses, making technology transfer a sanctioned university activity. (Action)

My ability to communicate my expectations of the CTD as an economic engine for the State allowed me to garner the support of the local business community. (Context) The community rallied and provided the CTD with counsel on legal, technical, market, and economic development issues pro bono. Their backing was key in obtaining support from the State Legislature. Within 6 months, I had established the CTD as an important member of the technology transfer community and assembled strong networks with national and international biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, venture firms, investors, and service providers. These networks have proven vital to this day. (Result)

Later in my career, I moved from the academic world to the Federal Government as head of the Office of Technology (OT). This office was created to implement the requirements of the Federal Technology Transfer Act. The OT is charged with the successful and appropriate commercialization of technology developed in Federal Laboratories. (Challenge) With an annual operating budget of $5 million, patent prosecution expenditures of over $7.5 million and a royalty revenue stream of $30 million, the OT is, arguably, the largest and most influential not-for-profit technology transfer operation in the world.

When I was recruited to head the Office of Technology (OT), it was fighting for survival, plagued with tremendous unrest as to the direction and future of technology transfer. There was widespread discontent with the performance of the OT, giving rise to numerous investigations and the need to address 75 Corrective Actions. The OT was viewed with suspicion and concern by insiders and outsiders. It was clear something had to change. (Context)

In my first staff meeting, I set forth my vision for the OT. I embarked on a process of evaluation and strategic planning for every unit, gathering advice from staff at all levels within the organization. Working together, we wrote a new mission statement, established policies and procedures, reorganized the Office, appointed key personnel, reassigned some staff members, and opened an important dialogue with our customers to assess their needs and requirements. (Action)

Under my leadership the OT’s performance has improved dramatically. Productivity has increased by 40 percent and is at an all-time high. In the last fiscal year, we have signed a record number of license agreements, reached a record level of royalty income, patented important new technologies, and systematically reviewed our portfolio to eliminate obsolete cases. From a management perspective, the OT has accomplished a remarkable turnaround. We have attracted and hired competent and energetic staff, and they are working as a cohesive group. The OT has successfully completed all but two of the 75 Corrective Actions. Most pre-existing EEO and personnel grievances have been resolved, and employee morale has improved significantly. In short, the OT is a well-run, proactive and productive organization. (Result)

Example 2: Leading Change

As Chief, Office of Security, I led the reinvention of my agency’s personnel security process. (Challenge) In the year before my appointment, a high-profile hiring initiative had resulted in about 400 selections. However, at the end of the fiscal year, the agency had not made any appointments because of a backlog in security investigations. By the time the security clearances were processed, the best candidates had found other jobs. (Context) I was asked to serve as Security Chief because I had a reputation as a manager who could achieve results quickly.

The agency’s priorities included strengthening border enforcement and improving immigration services. These priorities had national ramifications because they related to policies backed by the White House and Congress. We requested and received additional resources to hire Border Officers and support staff to implement the immigration strategies. The White House and Congress expected the agency to demonstrate results in border enforcement and naturalization within the fiscal year. (Context) The recruitment, security clearance, and training of staff had to be accomplished expeditiously without sacrificing quality in the security process. Due to the Government shutdown and furloughs in the first quarter, the agency had only 6 months to hire and appoint 4,000 employees. (Context)

At that time, personnel security investigations averaged 8 months. I led a comprehensive review of the process and identified four major systemic problems: severe delays in screening applicants for entry on duty; less than state-of-the-art software; lack of resources in field security offices; and no written guidance on procedures for security clearance decisions. (Action) All aspects of the process had to be revamped.

To address the system delays, I delegated entry on duty and suitability adjudication authority to the Field Officers, and provided adjudication training to ensure that employment decisions would be consistent throughout the agency. (Action) I worked with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to automate case files transmissions, which eliminated an average of 3 months from the process. (Action) Further, the new agreement with OPM gave us on-line access to investigative information as it was reported, and made it possible to grant waivers to permit entry on duty in as little as 2 weeks. Automated linkages are now in place in all four of our Field Centers. (Result)

I then negotiated and entered into an agreement with the Director of the U.S. Office of Federal Investigations, which agreed to provide fingerprint results within 8 calendar days of their receipt. (Action) Previously, the process had taken as long as 3 months. In addition, I directed the development, issuance, and implementation of Standard Operations Guidance for entry on duty decisions. (Action) This was the first written guidance to be published in 20 years. None of this would have been possible without my leadership, which earned the full cooperation and support of my staff. (Context) I encouraged them to share my vision of a streamlined personnel security process. All of my employees joined the effort and we formed a truly effective team.

Working together, we implemented new security investigations methods and gained the respect and trust of employees within our agency and throughout the Federal investigations community. (Result)

As a result of my efforts, 4,003 permanent and part-time employees were hired. Processing time for entry on duty security decisions was reduced from 195 to 20 days, on average. This streamlined process made it possible to screen 14,000 prospective candidates for law officer positions nationwide. (Result) I received the agency’s Meritorious Service Award for these achievements.

• How to Write a Federal Resume: Tips and Instructions
• Federal Resume Guide
• Resume Writing Help

Last Updated on 01/17/2024

It is crucial to follow the rules of the game to find the offer in the federal job market. To understand how to make a federal resume successful and eye-catching, start by going into further depth about what qualifies you for the target role. Your market research matters a lot — it will provide you with significant hints on what keywords and details the recruiter wants to see in such documents.

Whether you are making your first steps as a federal worker or want to upgrade your approach, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, let’s discuss helpful insights about how to organize the information you have to tailor your resume for government jobs to the insider market requirements. Mind the gap!

Need help in writing a resume? Take a look at the best federal resume writing services and military to civilian resume writing services reviews to consider.

Table of Contents

• 1.1 What Does a Federal Resume Look Like?
• 2 Private vs. Federal Job Resumes: What’s the Difference?
• 3.1 1. How Format a Federal Resume
• 3.2 2. Candidate Data
• 3.3 3. Skills Summary
• 3.4 4. Work Experience
• 3.5 5. Education
• 3.6 6. Additional Training
• 3.7 7. Professionals Associations
• 3.8 8. References
• 3.9 9. Language Skills
• 3.10 10. Volunteer Work and Community Roles
• 3.11 11. Professional Publications
• 3.12 View a Federal Resume Sample
• 4 Government Skills for Resume
• 5 Keywords for Government Resume
• 6 How Long Should a Federal Resume Be?
• 7 How to Write a Federal Resume for USAJOBS: Dos and Don’ts to Know
• 8 Common Mistakes When Writing a Federal Resume
• 9 Final Thoughts

What is a Federal Resume?

A federal resume is a kind of resume suitable for a federal job application. Whether you want to enter this labor market in the USA or seek another career opportunity as a current federal employee, customizing this resume for every role you consider is essential.

What Does a Federal Resume Look Like?

Compared to one-page resumes typical for private sector jobs, federal resumes commonly resemble a self-representation story. Given how much in-depth information such a file can provide, underlining and italics in formatting are welcome. It will remind you of an article or a unique type of academic article if you wish.

Please ensure your copy has clear and clean formatting. It is better to prefer a few typefaces for the entire document — one for headings and another for text parts. Say “no” to horizontal lines, images, infographics, and bold fonts. Such files have to be readable and scannable, which is why plain formatting styles are preferable.

Private vs. Federal Job Resumes: What’s the Difference?

Analogically to how private sector and federal sector jobs are distinctive phenomena in the US labor market, requirements for a resume for government employment and in the private workforce won’t be the same. Moreover, it is a huge mistake to underestimate the importance of such peculiarities — your application for a certain position can’t become a universal tool for other offers too. You will only lose scores in your candidate rating and miss out on dream professional opportunities.

Let’s take a closer look at what aspects distinguish a government style resume from its “opponent” in the market. Check the table below for an in-depth insight.

Whatever federal job you have in mind, the target company’s HR specialists have a certain list of criteria that applications must satisfy. By ignoring the distinctive features between federal and private resumes, you are automatically self-excluded from the lucrative job-hunting pool you want to join.

Unlike the case of resumes in the private sector, you won’t be able to take one file and send it to dozens of companies at once. Without a doubt, the governmental resume is the key tool for communicating your experience in the field, as well as your skills and education. Contrary to private resumes, a federal resume is better not to transform into an enlistment of academic certifications and accomplishments.

How to Write a Federal Resume

• any military experience
• relevant training and certifications
• publications or presentations related to a federal job
• list of languages
• information about technical proficiency and association memberships
• list of managers, mentors, colleagues or managers willing to act as references.

One of the most important components in a federal resume is the opening paragraph. This paragraph highlights the candidate’s qualifications, achievements and experiences in an attempt to sell the employer by presenting arguments on why hiring the candidate would be in the company’s best interest.

Finally, a federal resume might also include personal information that is often not included in a civilian resume, such as social security number and salary information.

1. How Format a Federal Resume

You are free to choose whether to represent the information in chronological or reverse chronological order, but the latter is more common. When it relates to structural peculiarity, don’t hesitate to compare different ready-made templates — it will be easier for you to locate one that matches your experiences and skills this way. The basic federal format resume boils down to the following.

The federal resume outline format is a prevalent style accepted by most government agencies . It features:

• ALL CAPS HEADERS
• Small paragraphs
• Few bullet points

To make your accomplishments stand out, list them as one or two sentence paragraphs so that nothing gets overlooked.

Another federal government resume format looks more like a traditional resume. It will use:

• Bold headings in a larger font
• Larger blocks of narrative text to describe work history
• More bullet lists

2. Candidate Data

Aside from personal information about your name and date of birth, please add your citizenship status. It would be great to mention your role in the Armed Forces, especially if you want to get the most out of veterans’ preference in the federal job market:

• Citizenship — one of the first steps of how to create a federal resume is to specify whether you have it or are going to apply for a job under the Work Visa roof.
• Federal experience — indicate any state government, federal, or military position.
• Clearance — if the target position requires access to restricted databases, this status will come in handy. Even if it’s not active at the moment, it will be beneficial to mention the level you reached.
• Special hiring authority — it defines special opportunities for people with disabilities to get better offers in the job market. There are several criteria to check and see whether you are a truly eligible candidate for the deal. If you see a special icon on the hiring platform, it means this paragraph will be a nice bonus. Make you get acquainted with the agency’s clarification about their eligibility ranges.
• Objective — specify your interest in a full-time or part-time position and provide information about the federal and sub-agency behind the offer.

3. Skills Summary

This part isn’t as brief as in a standard job application:

• The introduction — that’s where you enlist all the specific skills for a role you are applying to. Don’t forget to use and highlight keywords to make it more meaningful and attention-grabbing.
• Body — in the second paragraph, complement your introduction with good examples of these skills have helped you perform your duties in practice.
• Acquired sets of talents — here you can describe what other skills you find relevant and will let you establish a nice employee identity in the eyes of potential recruiters for the target role. It is a must to back up your story with excellent examples — be specific with dates and numbers.

4. Work Experience

This part of the government formatted resume provides details about your years of service, position, title, employer, and GS level. Some agencies may also ask you to mention your salary for those positions.

In the Work Experience section of a federal resume, it is important to include several components for each job descriptions or work experience listed:

• The start and end dates, including the month and year.
• The level of experience (e.g. manager, supervisor, etc.) and how long the experience was at each level.
• The average weekly number of hours worked.
• Relevant accomplishments and achievements.
• Related experience and particular experience that addresses the required qualifications.
• In many cases, salary information should be included.

An example of an entry in the Work Experience section of a federal resume is as follows:

Program Manager  June 2003 — December 2018 Hours per week : 40 Salary : $56,000 per year. • Experience #1 • Experience #2 • Accomplishment #1 • Accomplishment #2

Technology enthusiast certified in multiple programming languages with previous security clearance at the Department of Defense desires participation in the vital scientific mission of NASA by executing strategic contract initiatives.

The applicant’s military career information can also be included in this section of a federal resume.

5. Education

High-paying federal jobs vary in terms of education requirements. While some positions are pretty easy to get started, e.g. postal clerks and court reporters, others are more specific about your background as a prospective candidate for several positions in international relations, public administration, science, and other fields. Here you are supposed to write about your college, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree. Specify the years of studies, state, city, and university you graduated from.

6. Additional Training

It is good to mention you have been a regular visitor of online courses, webinars, and offline seminars. To make your statement more confident and convincing, state the center whether these activities took place (like the institute), the number of hours in training, and your accomplishments during the studies.

7. Professionals Associations

Once again, another bullet list will be straightforward and concise enough for an applicant to include in the government resume . For instance, those could be:

8. References

Don’t write

• “References available upon request”
• A list of qualified supervisors, managers, or mentors that will provide information about the candidate’s qualifications, dependability, work ethic and skills.

9. Language Skills

Individuals with high levels of proficiency or fluency in languages, except English, should include this information in their federal resume. This includes the American Sign Language and any spoken language.

10. Volunteer Work and Community Roles

Employers and hiring agencies often prefer candidates with a variety of relevant experience. However, this experience does not only have to come in the way of paid employment. Relevant volunteer work and community service experience can provide valuable experience and demonstrate the skills, which are necessary to do a job . Community roles can also include being a member of the Board of Directors, leading community initiatives or participating in the local government.

11. Professional Publications

Finally, a federal resume should include the titles of any professional or academic publication that the applicant has written or contributed to, including the date of publication.

View a Federal Resume Sample

We have crafted several federal resume samples , approved by hiring managers and certified writers. Take a look and get inspired.

Government Skills for Resume

Provide as much detail as possible. Unlike a private sector resume, you aren’t restricted to a one-page format. If you have a lot of experience to describe, go for it. However, please don’t get it wrong — it doesn’t mean you have to write a poem instead of following the steps of how to build a federal resume . Keeping the data provided concise, coherent, easy to perceive, and in a readable format is crucial.

NB. Check the position’s requirements first and include your education and experience that match an ideal candidate’s qualifications.

Another crucial detail is that you can add any experience you find important to the list of skills. Your task isn’t to boast of your potential but to advertise your expertise in the target field to people who don’t know you and how cool of a specialist you might be.

A good government job resume should inform the recruiter about must-haves and unique skillsets you have. The right strategy will let you ensure your identity and qualifications in the eyes of the company’s HR specialist:

• Accountant — problem-solving, critical thinking, accounts payable, cash flow monitoring, financial needs planning, fixed assets impairment assessment, and so on.
• Medical officer — public health, disease examination and diagnostics, direct patient care, internal medicine, hypertension, etc.
• Registered nurse — record keeping and paperwork, attention to patients’ worries and requests, empathy, clinical procedure knowledge, and counseling.

Keywords for Government Resume

This guide on how to write resume for federal government jobs would be incomplete without tips on including and arranging keywords. It is better to avoid overly stereotypical notions if they don’t match the qualifications this or that position requires. 

You have to ensure HR specialists will be able to perceive crucial facts from your resume quickly and without difficulty:

• Don’t hesitate to capitalize them whenever needed.
• Think about how you distribute keywords in the text. Try to use them as a focal point at the paragraph’s beginning.
• It isn’t compulsory for every part of the resume to be filled in with the targeted keywords. Make their use purposeful and avoid overwhelming the copy with cliche constructions.

There is no universal list of keywords for government resumes . The best practice is to check what terms are relevant for human resources specialists, mechanical engineers, customs officers, etc. individually. Let’s illustrate a few federal jobs and matching keywords for a resume to include:

• Accountant — detail-oriented, forecasting, budgeting, financial reporting, auditing, etc.
• Medical officer — board certification, medical records, clinical research, and healthcare management.
• Patent administrator — patent litigation, intellectual property, patentability, legal writing, and so on.

How Long Should a Federal Resume Be?

On average, three to six pages long will provide you with enough room to write about all the job-related information. How many pages should a federal resume be ? There are no strict requirements for the size of such documents. A lot may depend on your overall career and expertise in the target field.

At the same time, nobody asks you to create a dissertation — no need for ten pages and above. This way, you won’t showcase your expertise qualitatively. More likely, it will seem like you are far from a model employee because of your inability to submit well-structured and revised resumes to federal agencies.

How to Write a Federal Resume for USAJOBS: Dos and Don’ts to Know

It is better to avoid drastic experiments with your approach to resume writing for government jobs . To stay on the safe side, create the right resume format for USA jobs with the USAJobs’ Resume Builder . Here are some considerations to take into account to improve the quality of your government resume :

• Don’t use a passive voice to talk about your past experiences. Once the draft is complete, edit and proofread it to avoid any grammar and other mistakes. With online tools like Grammarly , for example, it won’t be a daunting task for non-experts.
• Your resume writing for government jobs has to be as detailed as possible. You don’t have to stick to the jobs and experiences you were financially rewarded for. The primary goal is to prove your qualifications, so any volunteer positions, college, or sports activities.
• To make things simpler, you can categorize your skill sets and diversify your hard, soft, and language skills.
• Boost your education summary with other qualifications, including leadership activities, honors, publications, training courses, and more.

Common Mistakes When Writing a Federal Resume

When writing a federal resume, it is important to avoid making the following common mistakes that can hurt the candidate’s chances of being hired:

No:  Using the same resume or opening summary for every job .

Yes:   The opening paragraph should sell the applicant and be filled with accomplishments, experiences, awards, certifications and skills the applicant possesses that are directly related to the specific qualifications listed in a job announcement.

No:  Including irrelevant or outdated work experience.

Yes:     Job experience should go back a maximum of 10 years, with a focus on more recent experience.

No:  Applying for job s but not meeting the qualifications.

Yes:   Emphasize your transferable skills.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, preparing a successful government resume depends on how thorough your preparations, data analysis, and market research are. Review job announcements in detail to ensure your application will cater to the target agency’s and position’s specifications. The level of information transparency and quality will also help you get ready for an in-depth questionnaire in a federal job interview. Although the scope of work is demanding in terms of time and other resources, your diligence will surely pay off.

Check Out the Related Articles: 

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